Regulating means for air-compressors.



PATENTED JUNE 20, 1905.

G. J. HENRY, JR. REGULATING MEANS FOR AIR GOMPR'ESSORS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 2. 1903.

2 SH? TSHEET 1 W/ TN 55555 Q/ZMM ,dw" -MJ G. J. HENRY, Jli. v REQULAIING MEANS FOR AIR COMPBESSORS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 2. 1903.

PATENTED JUNE 20, 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2v Ulllll UNITED STATES Tatentea June e0, 1905.

PATENT OEEicE.

GEORGE J. HENRY, JR, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO THE PELTON WATER WHEEL COMPANY, OF SAN FRAN- CISCO, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION OF CALIFORNIA.

REGULATING MEANS FOR AlR-COMPRESSORS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 792,987, dated June 20, 1905.

Application filed uary 2,1903. Serial No. 137,379.

To aZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE J. HENRY, Jr. a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of San Francisco,State of Californ'ia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Regulating Means for Air Compressor Mechanism; and I do hereby declare the following to beafull, clear, and exact description of the same.

IO The present invention is designed more particularly for use in connection with compressor mechanism actuated by means of a hydraulic motor for supplying air for mine purposes, the object of the invention being to I 5 provide means automatically controlled by the working of the hydraulic motor or automatically actuated by reason of variations as to the pressure of air within the receiver of the air-compressor for controlling the working of the motor.

To comprehend the invention, reference should be had to the accompanying sheets of drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a side view in elevation, disclos- 2 5 ing a hydraulic-motor mechanism, the controlling-nozzle therefor, an air-compressor connected with and actuated by the motor mechanism, and the mechanism whereby the controlling-nozzle for the impact-stream is 0 regulated in accordance with the speed of the hydraulic motor or in accordance with variations of the pressure of the air within the receiver of the air-compressor. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail side view in elevation of the auxiliary motor, the governor mechanism, section of the air-receiver and the connected mechanism operated by the governor mechanism, or the receiver connection, said view being taken from the opposite side of the ma- 4 chine to that of Fig. 1 of the drawings. Fig.

3 is a top plan view of the mechanism disclosed by Fig. 2 of the drawings. Fig. 4 is a detail view, in side elevation, of the regulating lever; and Fig. 5 is a top plan view thereof.

The numeral 1 is used to indicate any suitable style of base or frame, and 2 an ordinary air-compressor. This compressor, usually a connected pair being utilized, is driven from the power-shaft 3 of a hydraulic motor through 5 the crank connection 4: 5. The water-wheel 6 for driving the compressor 2 is secured to the power-shaft 3 and is driven by an impactstream ejected from the nozzle 7 onto the buckets or vanes attached to the periphery of the water-wheel onhydraulic motor. The nozzle 7 is attached to the end of the watersupply pipe'S.

The nozzle to be utilized in connection with the hereinafter-described controlling mechan- 6 ism may consist of an ordinary valve-regulated nozzle or an ordinary deflecting-nozzle. Preference is given to the deflecting-nozzle, and for such reason this form of nozzle is illustrated in the drawings.

The controlling-governor 9 for regulating the speed of the water-wheel which drives the air-compressor is slidable upon the vertical shaft 10, saidshaft being suitably connected with and driven by the cross-shaft 11. This cross-shaft is driven from the power-shaft 3 by means of the drive-belt 12, which belt works over pulley-wheel 13 of the said shaft 3 and pulley-wheel 1 1, secured to the crossshaft 11. The centrifugal balls 15 of the governor 9 are connected to a slidable collar 16 by links 17. The collar 16 is rotatably secured to a slidable hub 16. The rise or fall of the balls 15, due to the increased or the decreased speed of the drive-shaft 3, is 30 transmitted to the deflecting-nozzle 7 to raise or to lower same by the hereinafter-described connecting mechanism.

From the main water-supply pipe 8 extends a branch pipe 18, which pipe connects with the casing 19 of an auxiliary motor. The water from this pipe serves to drive a waterwheel located within said casing at a uniform speed, the shaft 20 of which wheel extends beyond the casing 19 and has secured thereon 0 the worm 21, which Worm engages with a worm-wheel 22, secured to the cross-shaft 28. The auxiliary motor is constantly driven. Hence the shaft 23 is continuously operated independentof the main water-motor. To the shaft 23 is secured a cam 24, which cam engages with the bifurcated end of the bellcrank lever 26. This lever is fulcrumed to the standard 27, and to the outer portion of its upwardly-extending arm the double pawl 27 is pivoted. The heads 28 and 28 of this double pawl engage, respectively, with rackplates 29 29, secured to and upwardly extend- .ing from the rock-shaft 30. To this rockshaft is attached the crank-arm 31, which arm is connected with one arm of the crank-lever 32 through the medium of the connecting-rod 33. The crank-lever 32 is fulcrumed to a suitable support 34, its free arm being secured to a lug 35, depending from the deflectingnozzle 7, Fig. 1 of the drawings. By means of this connection it is obvious that the oscillatory movement of the rock-shaft is transmitted to elevate 0r deflect the dischargenozzle 7, so as to regulate the position of the impact-stream relative to the buckets or vanes of the main motor in order to maintain the same at a proper speed.

The throw of the rack-plates and movement of the rock-shaft is dependent upon the engagement of the pawl-heads 28 28. If pawlhead 28 engages rack-plate 29, then the movement is in the direction of the arrow a, while if the pawl-head 28 is in engagement with its inner end is forked and engages with a pin or stud 39, projecting from the pawl 27'. In case the inner end of the said lever is elevated the same bearing upon pin or stud 39 forces the head 28 of the pawl 27 downward and into engagement with the rack-plate 29, holding the same in this position so long as the inner end of the regulating-lever 36 remains elevated beyond its horizontal. As the head 28 of the pawl 27 engages with the rack-plate 29 the movement of the crank-lever 26 is transmitted to the rock-shaft 30, which movement of the said shaft through the medium of the connected mechanism causes the nozzle 7 to be depressed, so as to throw a reduced stream of water onto the vanes or buckets of the water-wheel in order to decrease the speed or power thereof. In case the inner end of the lever 36 is depressed or lowered below its horizontal or normal position then the bearing thereof against the pin or stud 39 throws the head 28 of the pawl 27 into engagement with'the rack-plate 29 and by its engagement therewith imparts an opposite movement to the rock-shaft 30. This movement of the said rock-shaft operates, through the connectingrod 33, to elevate the nozzle 7, thereby causing a heavier impact-stream to impinge against the buckets or vanes of the water-wheel in order to increase the speed or power thereof. It will be understood that so long as the lever 36 remains in its horizontal or normal position that neither pawl is in engagement with the rack-plates. V

The movement of the regulating-lever 36 is controlled either through the governor mechanism, due to variations as to the speed of the driving-motor for the air-compressor, or by variations as to the pressure of the air within the receiver for the air-compressor.

The connection of the governor mechanism to control the movement of the regulatinglever is as follows: Presuming the drivingmotor to be running above normal, then the balls 15, due to centrifugal force, will be thrown outward and upward, so as to raise the collar 16 by reason of its connection therewith until the pin or stud 41, projecting from its hub 16, bears against the under surface of the cut-away portion 43 of lever 44. This lever at its outer end is pivoted by pin 45 to the bracket 37, and at its inner end is connected by the pin 45 to the lever 36. The upward movement of the slidable hub 16 causes its pin or stud 41 to lift the hinged lever 44, which raises therewith the inner end of lever 36, so as to place pawl-head 28 into engagement with rack-plate 29, which operates the rock-shaft30, through its connections, to depress the nozzle 7, as before described, so as to reduce the speed or power of the motor. In case the motor runs at too low a speed then the balls 15 fall and the collar 16 moves downward by gravity. As the collar 16 falls below its normal position the inner end of the lever 36 lowers by gravity below its horizontal or normal position and places pawl-head 28 into engagement with the rack-plate 29, so as to impart a reverse movement to the rock shaft 30, thereby through its described connections elevating the nozzle 7 in order to increase the speed or power of the motor, as before described.

The air-compressor is connected to a com-' pressor-receiver 46 by pipe connection 46. From the receiver 46 leads the pipe 47, which at its lower end communicates with the chamber 47, so that the air-pressure within said chamber 47 is the same as that within the receiver 46. Through an opening 48 in the chamber 47 works the vertically-movable stem 50, the head 49 of which bears upon an elastic diaphragm' 49, situated within the chamber 47. To the outer portion of the stem is secured a collar 49 The stem 50 at its upper end is connected with a lever 50. Upon the stem 50 is located a regulating-nut 51, which works through a support 53, and between the lower end of said regulatingnut and the collar 49 is interposed a pressurespring 52. This spring bears upon the collar 49 so as to exert a pressure upon the valvediaphragm '49 in opposition to the air-pressure within the chamber 47. The lever 50 is fulcrumed to the bracket 52", secured to the support 53. To the lever 50 near its inner end is pivoted the arm 53 andthe arm 54, which arms bear, respectively, upon the upper and lower faces of a set-serew 54.

This set-screw works within a slot cut in the outer end portion of the regulating-lever 36. The pressure of. the pivoted arms 53 and 54: is adjusted, respectively, by the adjustingscrews 55 and 55.

The normal pressure of the air within the chamber 47 is approximately equal to that of the pressure of the spring 52. Now should the pressure of air within the compressor-re,- ceiver 46 fall below normal then the pressure of spring 52 overcomes that of the air-pressure within chamber 47 and, as a consequence, moves the diaphragm 4:9 inward, drawing therewith the stem 50. As this stem is moved downward it caries therewith the outer end of the fulcrumed lever 50, throwing the inner end thereof upward. This movement of the lever 50 causes the arm 54: to bear upon the set-screw 54: and .throw the outer end of the regulating-lever 36 upward, which depresses the inner end thereof \and places the pawl-head 28 into engagement with the rackplate 29 and causes the same to actuate the rock-shaft 30 to operate the controlling-nozzle for the hydraulic motor, as hereinbefore described. Should the pressure in the air-receiver be increased above normal, then the increased air-pressure within the chamber 47, bearing against the diaphragm 49, overcomes the pressure of spring 52 and forces upward the stem 50, which, through its connection with lever 50, raises the outer end of the lever 50 and depresses the inner end thereof. This movement of the lever 50 depresses the outer end of the regulating-lever 36 through the medium of the arm 53 causing the inner end thereof to rise, which movement places the pawl-head 28 into engagement With the rack-plate 29, so as to impart an opposite movement to the rock-shaft 30 to that previousl y described. This movement of the rockshaft 30 is transmitted to the controlling-nozzle 7 in order to elevate the same to decrease the speed or power of the said hydraulic n10- tor, as hereinbefore described.

It will thus be observed that the working of the hydraulic motor is controlled, so far as speed is concerned, by the action of the governor mechanism in one case and in the other case by variations as to the pressure of the air within the receiving-chamber of the air-compressor. In case the water-motor should be idle and the pressure of air Within the receiv ing-chamber of the air-compressor fall below normal then by the hereinbefore-described connections the position of the water-nozzle, in case of a deflecting one being utilized, is raised or lifted, so as to cause the impactstream to impinge against the buckets or vanes of the water-motor and put the same into operation. It will be understood that the action is precisely the same in the case of a valvecontrolled nozzle being used in lieu of the defleeting-nozzle illustrated. In such case the action of the connecting mechanism simply serves to control the movement of a valve, so as to reduce, entirely cut off, or increase the outlet of the water for the impact-stream through the discharge-nozzle. -Such will be readily comprehended without illustration in connection with the present application inasmuch as such form of nozzle is well known and the working thereof, so far as relates to an automatic cut-oif valve for a discharge-nozzle, is well understood.

It will be understood that the present invention is not confined in its use to hydraulic motors, but may be utilized in connection with any motive power for actuating an air-compressor, and I do not wish to be understood as confining myself solely to hydraulic motors.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, and desired to be protected by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with a hydraulic motor, of an air-compressor driven thereby, a receiver for the compressor, governor mechanism actuated by the motor, a rock-shaft, an auxiliary motor for actuating said shaft, a regulating-lever actuated by the governor mechanism for operatively connecting the rock-shaft and auxiliary motor, a movable nozzle for delivering an impact-stream to said hydraulic motor, a connection between said shaft and nozzle whereby the nozzle is moved toward or away from the motor to increase or decrease the speed or power of the hydraulic motor in accordance with the move- ,ment of the rock-shaft, and mechanism actuated by a variance of pressure within the airreceiver for actuating the regulating-lever to operatively connect the auxiliary motor and rock-shaft.

2. The combination with a hydraulic motor, of an air-compressor driven thereby,a receiver connected therewith, a rocking member, an auxiliarymotor for actuating said member, a regulating-lever, mechanism interposed between said lever and the receiver actuated by the variation of pressure within the latter for raising and lowering the lever to operatively connect the rocking member and auxiliary motor, a movable nozzle for delivering an impact-stream to the hydraulic motor, and an operative connection between said nozzle and rocking member to move the nozzle toward or away from the motor for the purpose of controlling the main hydraulic motor proportionately to the variation of the pressure within the compressors receiver.

.3. The combination with a hydraulic motor, of an air-compressor driven thereby, a receiver connected therewith, a rock-shaft, the

movable nozzle, connection between the said shaft and the nozzle whereby the nozzle is moved toward or away from the motor in accordance with the movement of the rock-shaft, and associated instrumentalities actuated by variation of the air-pressure within a compressor-receiver for imparting movement to the said rock-shaft.

4. The combination with a hydraulic motor, of an air-compressor driven thereby, a receiver connected therewith, a rock-shaft, a motor for actuating same, rack-plates connected with the rock-shaft, a crank-lever, connection between the crank-lever and the motor, a regulating-lever, pawl connection between the crank-lever and the rack-plates, said pawl connection operated by the movement of the regulating-lever, associated instrumentalities controlled by variations of the air-pressure within the receiver to operate the regulating-lever, a movable nozzle, and connection betweenthe rock-shaft and the said nozzle whereby the direction of the impact-stream is varied proportionate to variations of the air-pressure.

5. The combination with a hydraulic motor,

logos? of an air-compressor, a receiver connected therewith, an air-chamber connected with said receiver, a regulating-lever, means Working within the air-chamber, the movement of said means being controlled by variations of the pressure within the air-chamber, associated instrumentalities for transmitting the movement of the said means to operate the regulating-lever, a movable nozzle, and means brought into operation by the movement of the regulating-lever in order to vary the direction of the impact-stream of the movable nozzle proportionately to the variations of the air-pressure within the air-receiver.

In] Witness whereof I have hereunto set my han GEORGE J. HENRY, JR.

Witnesses:

WALTER F. VANE, D. B. RICHARDS. 

